The Truth About Comedy and Making People Laugh with Chevy Chase & Sean Callagy

0:00I think I was funny in high school. There were funnier people in high school and in college. No, no, as I said, my father was very funny, my brother was funny, and no mentors, no teachers, just growing up with the right people the way I would see it. I wanted to be in medicine. I was thinking about being a surgeon, but I realized in short order that it would take another four to eight years before I could do that, and I wanted to be funny first. Without surprise, you can't really get laughter. It's got to come from out of nowhere almost, or out of left field. I left after one year. I had a reason to go and I was personal.

0:39And I really didn't want to leave, but it was the way it was in my life at the time. I want to be remembered by my family, by the people I'm closest to. The rest can take it or leave it. Hey, we're here with the Sean Callaghan Blinded Podcast. We help people see what they don't see about their financial abundance, their time and magic. And as we hit this Christmas and holiday season, I couldn't be more honored to have our guest coming up here today. So let's kick it to Tink for his introduction. There are rare souls in every era who don't just succeed. They redraw the map for everyone who follows.

1:15Before comedy learned to explain itself, before it softened the edges, Chevy Chase stepped forward and proved that intelligence could be hilarious. Irreverence could be art. and the sharpest laugh is the one that reveals truth before we even know it's arrived. As a founding force of Saturday Night Live, an Emmy Award winner for both his performances and writing, and the architect of moments that echo through decades, Chavie didn't just collect accolades, he changed the very standards of comedy. He made it safe for wit to be sharp, for satire to be fearless, and for performers to trust that restraint and timing could be more powerful than noise.

1:56Being first isn't glamour. It's carrying a torch through the fog. Misunderstood until the world catches up. To master at this level, it's the time truth so clearly that laughter becomes revelation. Between the applause and the pressure, the brilliance and the burden, stands a human who chose originality over approval and contribution over comfort. Tonight, we don't just honor nostalgia. We honor a man whose work raised the bar for what comedy, courage, and intelligence could be. And so it's my privilege to welcome arguably the greatest comedic innovator of his generation, a true one of one, Chevy Chase.

2:32Mr. Chevy Chase, honor and privilege to have you here. Oh, thank you. Yeah, Sean Calgley on Podcast. Nice to see you, Sean. Yeah, very nice to see you. I got to go after that intro. Thank you for that, for sure. So how did you get into comedy? Were you funny growing up? Was it something you just understood? Did you learn how to do it? Like, where did all this come from? Well, all of the above. I mean, my dad was a very funny man. His dad was a funny man. They weren't comics or comedians, as I'm supposed to be. But they were very funny and particular about what they said and did, and good with sarcasm when it was valued.

3:27And, you know, things happen. You just roll along. And pardon me for burping. I just realized I've lost a lung. Okay, I'm back. Go. So, were you funny in high school? Were you in plays? What was that time like for you? I think I was funny in high school. There were funnier people in high school and in college. Wally Sean was one. He's well known for some of his movies.

4:10and you know I I mean you're still gonna go over this aren't you how do I become funny yes I don't know thank you so did you have anybody that was a mentor a teacher or this is really just innately no no as I said my father was very funny my brother was funny, and no mentors, no teachers, just growing up with the right people, the way I see it. Awesome. So, what happens first to take you from high school, college, into your career in entertainment? entertainment and yeah. Well in a sense that started in college we used to do a radio show that could be heard in the college and it was very funny in itself and a take off on radio and television and And that's sort of where it all began.

5:21Going from there, I was actually a, I was a, what was I Pat? I majored in, I was a medical guy. I wanted to be in medicine. Really? So, yeah. And I was thinking about being a surgeon, but I realized in short order that it would take another four to eight years before I could do that, and I wanted to be funny first. And music, Carnegie Hall, pianist, Steely Dan, that was a part of you as well, yeah? Yeah, Steely Dan was in college with me, and I was with them, and I played the drums. And later on, I just moved into the piano, and that's what I've been playing for the last 50 years or so. Piano.

6:18Beautiful. Jazz piano. Awesome. And how about moving into Saturday Night Live? You know, what do you think perhaps people might not understand about Saturday Night Live, your time there, that might be an interesting revelation for people? What?

6:41So, cool, crazy, interesting, fun times on Saturday Night Live. Was it fun? Did you enjoy it? Was it terrible? You know, yeah. SNL came about when I met Lorne Michaels, the producer, in a line late at night, like at midnight showing of the Monty Python's Holy Grail. The Monty Python is another, in my opinion, the greatest of the comedy groups out of England. and Lorne Michaels and I got together and sat around in his hotel room in LA, Los Angeles, and we talked for about an hour, well more than that, maybe the whole afternoon about what he wanted to do with his new show called Saturday Night Live, SNL, and how he would like me to be the head writer, because I had been the head writer up to that point in a couple of other shows, culminating in the Smothers Brothers Hour, which was a television show too at the time.

8:02So I said I'd love to come to New York but I wanted to act too. I was just starting to act in this Mother's Brothers show and was enjoying it. And he said no, no acting. So that was the end of that. But I still went and was with him in New York City as we put together this show. He hired various Gilda Radner, John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, Jane Curtin, various members of the cast. We just put it together there and it took off. It was live, and because it was live I think it was most entertaining because you weren't really sure what the heck could happen.

9:01And for yourself, so from Saturday Night Live and being the writer, how do you end up in front of the camera?

9:12Well, let's see, well, Laura and Michael had us all sitting around an oval table and he'd point to John and Gilda and he'd say do something, do something funny. And by the way he hadn't hired me to act as I said, he just wanted me to be the writer. But he pointed to me and said do something funny and I did something about, you know how those news people like David Muir and others, they end their shows with a little light funny thing, they think. Anyway, I did some takeoff on that and it was pretty funny and at that point he decided to keep me as an actor too. So that's how that began. That's awesome.

10:08Who are some of the folks from that era? John Belushi and Steve Morton and Gilder Radner. Who are some of the people that you enjoyed their work the most? Not just, you know, critically thought of, but made you laugh, you know, from that. All those people you mentioned made me laugh. They're very funny people. Awesome. And then, so what happened, what happens after Saturday Night Live and how do we move from SNL into the world of film? Oh, that was quick. Let me think. What happened after Saturday Night Live? Well, I left after one year. I had a reason to go and I was personal. And I really didn't want to leave, but it was the way it was in my life at the time.

11:01And let me see, what did I do? What did I do? I can't even remember. You did, you went into Foul Play. Oh yeah, well I made a movie called Foul Play with Goldie Hawn and that was kind of cute. And we actually made a couple of movies together, that and it seems like old times. and I started making movies and having fun doing that and it was all comedy. Yeah, I mean all these movies are iconic and amazing. Excuse me. I just got finished with a pneumonia. You won't get it. It's gone. It would be worth it sitting here. I would accept pneumonia for having a privilege. I would. I would gladly have the moment to sit with you and have this conversation.

11:55Get out of here. Yes. So, I know this is a question that has been sort of, we're not all the way there yet, but let's pretend people are watching this to learn. Let's hope they are. Yeah, let's hope. Yeah. To become more funny. Like, is there anything you, has anybody ever asked you, hey, you know, Mr. Chase, Chubby Chase, how can I become more funny? People you're on set with, folks, is there anything you would give as guidance of what humor is to you or how you think about funny things or writing in humor, anything like that that people might be able to take away? Repeat that. Yes. No, I'm kidding.

12:43I could verbatim, yes. I bet you could. No, I mean, I'm not sure how to answer that. How could I teach people? Yeah, if somebody said, give me one tip on how you can be more funny. You made this room laugh five times. Most of them at me, so it's amazing. Thank you for that. And by the way, my significant other is sitting there, so she's very, very happy. the more times you're making them laugh at me will make her keep laughing like that. Okay, good. Yeah, perfectly. Good goodness. So, yeah, I mean, one tip, because she's not funny, so she's going to try to become funny. So what would you teach her to become funny?

13:34I would tell her to keep it up. Yeah. How could she get worse? If that was the case. I mean, look, a sense of humor is a sense of perspective, a sense of what's good and what's bad, what's right, what's wrong, what's better, what's worse. All of those thoughts. And that's what a sense of humor is about. So to the extent that you keep that in mind and to the extent that you understand that,

14:18I guess that's how you learn better. I guess that's what you try to teach others. Just keep that perspective and don't be afraid, you know. So thank you for that, for sure. And I mean that sincerely because, you know, folks watch this. Excuse me while I blow your nose. Please, please do. Oh, it's mine. Yes. Oh, that's right. I don't have a handkerchief. You have a handkerchief? I've got one. That's my mom. She would love it. She would love if you blew her nose in her handkerchief. She'll keep it. So, seems like old times, foul play. She had like posters of you. Oh my God. All sorts of things. Oh.

14:58Yes. I'm here. Go ahead. So, you know, the folks out there, they just learned something, and I did too, of how to talk about humor. because I believe everything can be modeled, right? And I never thought about it in the context of way of saying of like perspective shifting. And that is funny. So if you think about, if I think about for a second, the characters you played, you were always in, whether it's foul play or whether it's Fletch, whether it's seen like old times, whether it's in vacation movies, that's something you were just shifting that perspective to say something from another angle.

15:40It's funny, right? And it's what you've done 10 times here today. I never understood that. So, yeah, thank you. Well, now you've learned something. I have. Okay, it's time to be funny now. Yes, I could. Go! Because she doesn't think I'm funny. Go forth and be funny. Yeah, go forth. I've been directed by Chevy Chase to go forward and be funny. Yeah, it's a biblical thing. Go forth and be funny. And my children think I'm cringy and not funny. So, thank you. I will do my best. Sure thing. I think they're right. Whatever I can do. Thank you. So we moved from you, moved from this time of Foul Play, Goldie Hawn.

16:17What are some of your favorite movies that you've done that I made? Yeah. What did you enjoy the most or liked the most? Oh, hell, I liked all of them. I had a lot of fun making most of them. I must have made 50 over the years, but probably the last. Can I just say something in front? I don't, we don't say things to kiss your ASS. Like, you are amazing. And like, really, it is an honor. And people, and I just want to really bring this forward. So I don't just say nice things to people that say nice. You are a master. Yes, you do. Come on now. I don't. Bella, do I say things to be nice all the time?

16:55Okay. So, Mom, do I say things to be nice? Yeah. Oh, my God, they're both here. Yes, they're both here, right? But I mean it, you know, really. I've been a student of your work and just moved by it like there's not a Christmas season that goes by I don't watch Christmas vacation multiple times, but I understand you're way more than that You know the the entire body of work, you know foul play we we're all about laughs Yes, that's all I mean, it's that simple, but can you make people laugh and? We've we've sort of covered some of that right now and And, you know, ever since I've been little, I've liked making people laugh.

17:37It seems to be one of the happiest moments in their lives to laugh. Sure. So to the extent that I can make you laugh or your mom or your wife, I mean, or your wife? Close enough. Yes. Close enough. Yes. It's Sugar Mom. That's my sugar baby. Or the Sugar Mom. Anyway, to the extent that I can do that, that's really all it's about. And that means surprise, basically. Without surprise, you can't really get laughter. It's got to come from out of nowhere almost, or out of left field, as it were. Beautiful. And how about any movies that are your favorites that you made? That I made? Yeah, of yours. Yeah, I suppose my favorite was Fletch, which is my more recent one, I think, Fletch.

18:32But, you know, I loved Seam Cycle Times. I loved Spies Like Us. I certainly loved The Three Amigos. That's one of my favorites. So I have about five or six of them that I like. Wow. So at Fletch, we have the Underhill Bills. How about, where does Caddyshack stack up for you in terms of? Oh, Caddyshack's right up there too, yeah. I like Caddyshack a lot. I like being with Harold Ramis and Bill Murray was in Caddyshack. We were very funny together. Yeah. I don't think the heavy rain's going to come down for a while yet or something, right? The what? The rain. We're talking about the rain. It's like pouring rain in that moment, iconic scene with, I think, Bill Murray.

19:18Yeah. We're talking about not making the rain's going to come down as it's pouring. Oh. I don't remember that. I don't remember the rain. Yeah. So how about in the world of vacation, right? I didn't hear you mention that. Clark Griswold. Vacation? Yeah. Oh, sure. How did you enjoy that movie? If people see you through that prism, like see you that way, do you like that? You don't like that? Yeah, I enjoyed it. I liked it. Thanks for asking.

19:55Look, I don't want to go over and over it, but like I say, if you can surprise people, you can make them laugh, if you can surprise them in the right way. Got it? I got it. That's a boy. Sure. Thank you for that. So who are some of your favorite people to perform with? I don't want, if you want to tell me the people you didn't like performing with and movies you don't like, feel free. I'm not asking to put you in a weird spot. I don't, there's nobody I didn't like. No, I liked them all. Yeah, and who were you? I love Dan Aykroyd for instance, a very good friend and a wonderful guy from SNL.

20:45Steve Martin, Martin Short, they both have their own show now called Only Murders in My Building, or in somebody's building, I don't remember whose. And they're two very good friends of mine. We made The Three Migos together, which I thought was a good movie. And you know, stuff like that. Cool. I know you've been on a recent tour. You've been going around. How's that going? The tour's going fine. We've been going from city to city. We've been, as of now, in about 12 different cities. It's a workout, but we go and we show the movie Christmas Vacation right about this time of year. and then I come out at the end of it all and the audience stands and applauds and gives me a standing ovation, which is the only reason I go, really.

21:44And we do a show in front of the audience. They ask questions and I answer the questions. Yes, they like that because they like to see a star and it's live, you know, live. Sure. That kind of thing. Sure. So in Christmas Vacation, how does that fit into, I mean, obviously I'm touring for it, so well known for it, but what were some of your favorite things about that? How do you feel about that being, you know, the legacy it is? Well, I love it because it was very much a family, oriented picture and it's very much the, are you going to leave now?

22:37Get out of here. What the heck, don't cough in here. I think you gave my mom pneumonia. I gave her the pneumonia. I'll be back. Okay, we'll see you, Grammy, yes. What a place is this. It's crazy. Anyway, where was I? We were talking about what? Vacation, Christmas vacation. Oh, Christmas vacation. Yeah, I loved that. That's a family-oriented picture. It's pretty much like all of our families. They come and attack your family during Christmas and you have to be aware of it and ready for it and try to make it a fun ordeal for everybody. And thank you for that. Right. You know, it is, I came from a big family, my mom, who just left the room choking because I think she caught pneumonia in the room.

23:31That's like our family, you know, and I think it's like everyone's family. And so as you spoke about earlier, this perspective, that's what's really happening, right? the scenes. People are burning the turkey and there's no food and the senile ant is giving presents that nobody wants and wrapping cats. So just really thank you for that permanent imprint on everybody's life. Well, you're welcome. Yeah.

24:01Legacy, is that something you care about, you think about, how to be remembered, what you want to be remembered for? It's, you know, 100 years from now, it's your last day on earth. What would you, if anything, want to be remembered for? I'd want to be remembered for living to be 100.

24:19Sorry. I don't know. Just, I want to be remembered by my family, by the people I'm closest to. The rest can take it or leave it. it's a beautiful perspective you seem like you you really um have a great life where you're i do have a great life yeah i love it what do you do for fun for fun i i live my life it's what do you mean for fun i don't know what do you like the rest of it's not fun do you like parachute do you play chess do you you know do you eat ice cream i like to play chess in the air parachuting It always works for me. That is perfect. Clothed or unclothed? I like to be clothed most of the time because it's very cold up there.

25:15This is definitely fun. Bella Vrita, you keep laughing over there at this. I think you're getting some funny lessons. Yes, I'm getting funny lessons. So any questions you have, Bella Vrita? um no how do we make him more funny because he thinks he's funnier than me and i don't think he is obviously you've experienced how funny i am i think how do we make him funnier i don't think either of you are very funny frankly i think you're gonna have to work that out together No, you're fine. Thank you. I appreciate that. Don't worry about it.

25:53So, tonight... No. No tonight. You can, okay. Okay, thank you. So, for tonight, we're going to be celebrating at our Christmas and holiday party with 800 of my closest friends. Yeah. So, it would be wonderful. He's got some surprises for you. What? He's got some surprises for you. Yes, we're going to have a beautiful... Oh, am I going to be there? I hope so. Okay, I'll try to get there. Thank you. I appreciate that. So we're going to be lighting the Christmas tree, honoring you. And we're going to play a clip before you come out of your moment in Christmas Vacation where you have just found out that you were the winner of the Jelly of the Month Club as Clark Griswold.

26:40Oh. Is that okay with you if we play that moment? Yeah, of course. Surprise. People don't know you're coming. That's where I rant. Yes. The magical Cork Criswold rant. Yeah. So is that okay with you? It's okay with me. Yes. And then we're going to ask you to repeat it verbatim from memory. Would that be okay? No. But I can read it. I'm totally joking. Sean, though, could definitely recite every line. Oh, I'm sorry to hear it. Yeah. so we'll have that beautiful night is there anything that we can do that you want these fine folks to know before we wrap up about you, life, anything no, no, I'm very happy to be here it's very nice to meet you people documentary oh, I have a documentary there's a documentary about me coming up on television amazing when is it?

27:35January 1st Yeah, on January 1st on CNN, these guys want me to promote the documentary about me. And it's pretty good. I saw it. You like it? Well, I'm in it. Yes. So I like it, yeah. Yeah, it's nice. Amazing. And is it funny? Is it factual? Is it both? It's all. All the things? Yeah, it's funny. It's factual. It tells you a lot about me. Cool. And were there any influences on you? You know, you mentioned some comedic geniuses including your family, but was there anybody else your dad your grandfather that were funny? Is there anybody else in the history of comedy that influenced you? Of course, Charlie Chaplin was.

28:21He was brilliant as a physical comedy comic. I'm a physical comic, so I loved watching Chaplin and Keaton even even though they were years before me. I mean they were in the 20s and 30s and I wasn't born until the middle of the 40s.

28:41Abbott and Costello, Laurel and Hardy, enjoy any of those folks. I liked Laurel and Hardy. Abbott and Costello, eh. Got it. How about, let's think through, anybody from the 50s, 60s in comedy that was Lucio Ball? Yeah, I've seen Caesars and Imogene Coca.

29:03The 60s. Oh, hell, I don't remember now. That's a long, long time ago. Yeah, a long time ago. How about Lucy? I love Lucy. Lucille Ball. Was that? Yeah, she was okay. Got it. So if you're going to pick Chevy Chase's three favorite comedy folks of all time, who would be your top three? Comedy? Yeah. In comedy? First of all time? Yeah. Who would be like one, two, and three for you in comedy? Oh, jeez. That's not fair. I don't want to name three people when there's probably a dozen others that I love. too. Understood. So how about outside the realm of comedy? What are some of your favorite movies?